Boy Born With No Eyes Is Living His Life To The Fullest

A mother and her inspiring six-year-old son who was born with a gap in his face is raising awareness of the treatment of people with facial differences.Show more

Christian Buchanan from Woodbury, Tennessee, was born with Tessier cleft lip and palate, a rare condition which has only been documented 60 times in medical history. Tessier cleft lip and palate is the result of the facial tissues not joining properly during development, causing a facial disfigurement and the inability to eat, speak and see.

Lacey Buchanan from Woodbury, Tennessee shares the incredible story of her son Christian who was born different. The mother of two explains that her disabled child loves to wrestle with his younger brother, he is learning how to play the violin, he is taking karate lessons and he is mastering the sign reading technique.

The biggest way this condition affects Christian’s life is his vision impairment, because he is completely blind and he has to learn to navigate the world in the dark. This boy is a real fighter, he has had seven surgeries so far, three reconstructive surgeries on his face to help close the gaps that the cleft left, so that he is able to speak and eat properly. He is going to have a lot more surgeries in the future, because that’s just the nature of his condition.

There is a huge social stigma about being different, looking different that most people don’t know how to handle somebody with that kind of difference, or how to be around them. His mom describes Christian as one very independent little boy, he is curious and he likes to explore the world, and he is not afraid to do it.

This mom wanted to share her family story in order to raise awareness for disabilities in general and specifically facial differences. She doesn’t want to hid her child, she wants him to be out in the world, he deserves to indulge in all things life can offer. Over the years Christian has grown independent and fearless, and we hope that he learns how to navigate through life properly. We support this brave fighter, good job buddy!